Our modern distrust of ambitious political and military leaders is clouding our assessment of the great leaders of the past, contends Robert Faulkner. Using examples that include Alcibiades, Cyrus the Great, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt, Faulkner demonstrates that the will to power coupled with selfless devotion to a cause can produce remarkable results.

"In a searching study of politics and philosophy, Robert Faulkner defends honorable ambition against cynics and skeptics in our day. His search centers on the ancients, always our best source for greatness and its eternal rivalry with goodness. This is a book of matured and ready wisdom."—Harvey Mansfield